NCMC to receive $875,000 in training funds

Monday

Sep 24, 2012 at 12:08 PMSep 24, 2012 at 12:10 PM

North Central Missouri College in Trenton will share in an $18 million U.S. Department of Labor training grant, Gov. Jay Nixon has announced. The training grant, known as the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training program, will be used to educate Missourians for careers in advanced manufacturing and public safety.

“Our top priority is to create good job and career opportunities for Missourians, and our community colleges are vital partners in this effort,” Nixon said. “By expanding educational and training opportunities in high-demand fields like advanced manufacturing and public safety, we are preparing Missourians for career opportunities that exist today. We will continue to expand training opportunities, invest in our workers and keep this economy moving forward.”

A consortium of Missouri community colleges, led by St. Louis Community College, will receive nearly $15 million to launch an initiative to be known as MoManufacturingWINs. Through MoManufacturingWINs, students will earn skill certificates that are recognized and endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers. These certificates show employers that workers have demonstrated skills in specific areas of manufacturing, such as production, industrial maintenance, welding, machining and transportation and logistics.

In addition to NCMC, other colleges participating in the MoManufacturingWINs consortium include East Central College (Union); Linn State Technical College (Linn); Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City); Mineral Area College (Park Hills); North Central Missouri College (Trenton); Ozarks Technical Community College (Springfield); State Fair Community College (Sedalia); St. Charles Community College; and St. Louis Community College.

“Having the right education and the right skills is critical for competing for the careers of today and tomorrow,” Nixon said. “Advanced manufacturing and public safety are fields poised for continued growth in Missouri. These programs will help more Missourians compete for jobs in these dynamic industries.”

NCMC’s Dean of Instruction Dr. Jamie Hooyman expects the local college to be awarded $876,314 as part of this three-year initiative.

“Specifically, the consortium colleges will align curriculum, degree programs, and assessments in one or more certification programs, using ACT’s NCRC+ as a baseline assessment of workplace and college readiness, develop pathways such as articulation agreements and expansion of for-credit courses in support of certification attainment, commit to delivery of NAM endorsed certifications, and enter into partnerships to address local factors, such as developmental education success program and student internships, Hooyman said.

“We will focus on three career clusters: 1) Production – skills, certifications, and training on safety, quality, production, and maintenance awareness; 2) Industrial Maintenance – skills, certifications, and training on maintenance and control systems in the manufacturing environment; and 3) Welding – skills, certifications, and training,” the dean explained.

NCMC’s technical training will take place at its Barton Farm Campus located just south of Trenton. These grant funds will serve to enhance current programs, courses, and instruction recently implemented with the cooperation of Modine Manufacturing of Trenton, which has been a long-time industry partner with the college. Also, Hooyman stated that NCMC expects to be able to employ at least one new full-time faculty member to teach in these fields of study.

The grant-writing effort was led by the Missouri Community College Association and St. Louis Community College, which will act as the grant’s fiscal agent. Zora Mulligan, executive director of the Missouri Community College Association, says that the application was also written with extensive input from manufacturers and industry groups including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, state workforce development leaders and workforce investment boards, and organized labor.